The Importance of a Book Signing
Some people will tell you that book signings are old-fashioned, a thing slowly creeping into the world of publishing past. As both a reader and an event coordinator, I have strongly say that it is not.
As an event coordinator, I’ll tell you that yes, they can be slow. People don’t stop as often as they maybe used to. If it’s an author they are unfamiliar with they have a tendency to be stand offish, uncaring, or nervous. Fix this by offering candy or baked goods, or even a few free books, and you’ve sealed the deal. Like a sales person, all you have to do is get them up to the table. Your merchandise, a friendly face, and their sheer curiosity will do the rest. As an event coordinator I will tell you that you shouldn’t worry if not very many people buy your book that day, that’s not entirely the point of a book signing. The point of a book signing is to get your face, your name, your book titles and book covers lodged in their brain, constantly tickling the edges of their frontal lobes. Every time they see your work, for years to come, they will say in their head: I met him/her, I should buy this. In this day of e-books, many wont buy from you in a brick and mortar store, but will rush home and purchase a kindle edition.
As a reader with severe extrovert tendencies, I will tell you that it is incredibly exciting. Meeting an author, whether you love everything they’ve ever done, or just barely opened the first page of a book, or have never heard of them – to me – is so very exciting. I want to hear their voice and the way they talk, let their real voice intertwine a bit with the inner one I’ve imagined in my head. I want to know a few factoids, a few mannerisms, put their work in a greater perspective. Yesterday, when I met Karleen Koen for the first time, I just wanted to bask in her author-ness, in her bookishness. Of course, I ended up chattering hopelessly because that’s what I do, but my oh my how awesome it was to hang out and listen. It made me want to get home afterward as quickly as possible and finish reading the book that I had meant to finish before the signing. It made me want to buy the other books she has written, and all I can think about this morning is that there is a signed copy of Now Face to Face in hardback sitting on the shelf at the store… and how it needs to be mine.
My goal is to bring more book signings to Half Price Books Humble and one day maybe be as event filled as Murder By the Book in Houston. Book signings are not dead and they should never be dead. If you are an author interested in setting up a book signing, email me at andiklemm@rocketmail.com.
Happy Birthday Half Price Books Humble!
Today was so much fun for me – a Mommy’s Day Out if you will – spent at Half Price Books in Humble celebrating the 10th year of business. (The whole company’s 40 year anniversary was earlier this year.) Much of my day was spent handing helium balloons to children as they passed by, another solid bit was giving away free stuff over the intercom, and the rest was hanging out with really awesome people and eating Barbecue (Dickey’s Barbecue Pit moved in down the sidewalk and their food is heaven! They donated sample trays for our patrons as well as gift cards to raffle off.)
Delaney Rhodes and customers enjoying a chat.
Karleen Koen and Delaney Rhodes
Karleen Koen
Karleen holding up the “readers” she had to borrow because she left hers at home!
She is also a big fan of the children’s author Rosemary Wells
My apologies for any fuzziness in the photos. I have arthritis in my right hand and it shakes when I hit buttons.
Don’t forget Banned Books Week is coming up! http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek
Also, if you are an author looking to do a book signing, please email me at andiklemm@rocketmail.com.
Weekly Low Down on Kids Books – and other things
Title: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Authors: William Joyce and Joe Bluhm
With great reluctance, I turned this book back into the library yesterday on our way to the Miller Outdoor Theatre to see a live *free* production of Cinderella. Cinderella actually has no relevance to this story/review, I just wanted to throw that in there because the whole adventure was pretty awesome, we even rode a train.
“Morris Lessmore loved words.
He loved stories.
He loved books.
But every story has its upsets.”
But not every story is so beautifully written and illustrated. For the last two weeks, kiddo has been getting a daily dose of Mr. Lessmore, not just because I thought it was so fantastic, but because she thought it was pretty awesome too. Flying books!? It doesn’t get much better for that for a kid.
Shamefully, I have to admit that if I hadn’t read this book to my daughter, she may have forever missed out on Humpty Dumpty – merely because I am so busy sharing books with her that I often forget the nursery rhymes. Yet, Humpty Dumpty is alive and well in Mr. Lessmore’s world, so thankfully, that is one she will not miss out on.
Mr. Morris Lessmore is also a good way to introduce a small child to the issues of aging, life, and death. It’s a beautiful story of a man’s life with books, and like all men do, he grows old and passes. Presented with a combination of calm serenity and passion, this story kept in a child’s library could be a little piece of fantasy and reality which their subconscious can cling to forever.
Part way through the very excellent play that I did not want to disrupt, kiddo got the urge to run. Cinderella still going strong in the distance.
Now, I am aware that I teased you a bit with that Cinderella business, so I suppose I cannot leave you hanging. This falls a bit under the When We’re Not Reading parts of my blog, but still encourages literacy and the arts. A.D. Players did a William Glennon play at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park yesterday morning. The weather was perfect as it kept teasing us with rain, but never did. The breeze was blowing, and there are so many things to do around the park that if/when your kiddos get antsy, its easy to take them for a walk or train ride.
To give you a full idea of how awesome these productions are, however, I am going to simply share with you a blurb from the program:
Founded in 1967 by Jeannette Clift George, A.D. Players pioneered a unique style of theater committed to producing plays and programs that uphold human value, offer creativity, and promote literacy and education. The company is one of Houston’s largest resident theater companies, impacting more than nine million people. Annually, the company produces five Mainstage shows and four Children’s Theater shows, and maintains a year-round Theater Arts Academy.
We share our mission with volunteers, community associates, and those who make our work possible through their support. For additional information, visit www.adplayers.org or call 713-526-2721.
Pretty neat, right?
When We’re Not Reading – Fall Begins
Thursdays at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston is free. I love taking the kiddo to see the ever-changing exhibits there, and this time we spent a lot of time watching the six-minute long digitally animated Tree changing through the seasons and blowing in the imaginary wind. The exhibit is called “Mike Kelley” and was made by artist Jennifer Steinkamp. It is absolutely lovely, and I highly recommend taking time out of your busy schedule to go sit and experience its luminous, fake leaves.
Another fantastic and *free* thing to do in Houston when the weather is nice is to visit Sam Houston Park/ Heritage Square. The real life trees you can see are simple amazing, fun to romp and climb, and just a wonderful place to have an outdoor picnic. You can also go visit the Heritage Society Museum for no charge, the entrance is in the courtyard. We didn’t stay long, however, because kiddo nearly killed a display and cost the city some priceless treasures. We’ll try that museum when she’s a bit older.
I grew up visiting Sam Houston Park during the Christmas season, when the Heritage Society houses are lit and apple cider, coffee, and hot cocoa is served in the courtyard. Choirs sing in gazebos, courtyards, along the paths, and on balconies (I participated every year until I graduated), and it’s just a pleasant way to spent a cold evening. So I can’t wait to take kiddo to experience a park she already enjoys in its most festive capacity.
The same day we had our freebie adventures downtown, I finished up my day at Half Price Books in Humble at the first ever Poetry Night. There were only three of us present, but we had a wonderful time eating chocolate chip cookies and discussing the work of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Sylvia Plath, and Emily Dickinson. It sounds melancholy and macabre, but I assure you it was quite pleasant. I spent Friday afternoon talking the program up to teachers at Humble High School, so hopefully we’ll have a bit of a crowd next time. Keep in mind, it’s the first Thursday of the month all semester, and its a great (and totally free) way to spend an evening.
Now its Saturday and we’ve got Corn Chowder cooking in the crock pot, in anticipation of a cold front, and home-made whip cream (flavored with Amarula) cooling in the fridge waiting for an Almond Cake with a Peach-Berry topping. Kiddo is playing dress up in the library as I type this post. I love my life.
Poetry Nights at Half Price Books
It all begins tomorrow night! I plan to binge on some William Carlos Williams and Edna St. Vincent Millay.
10 Year Anniversary Party!
As of September 13th Half Price Books has been opened in the Humble area for 10 years! So on Saturday, September 15th, we’re having a party! Come join the fun… book signings, raffles, barbecue, live music in the evening, what more could you want?
Get Ready for HPB Humble’s 1st Book Club Meeting!
I made and printed little post cards in preparation of the September 3rd Book Club Meeting (8pm-9pm at HPB Humble!). We will be discussing Koen’s Through a Glass Darkly. Feel free to print a copy for yourself.
Kathleen O’Neal and W. Michael Gear
Also…
Eleanor Hibbert, who also writes under the names:
Jean Plaidy
Victoria Holt
Philippa Carr
Eleanor Burford
Elbur Ford
Kathleen Kellow
Anne Percival
Ellalice Tate
Don’t forget we will be meeting the first Monday of the month through out the Fall/Winter 2012. Here’s this season’s reading roster:
Through a Glass Darkly – A Review
I am reading from a first edition. Click the image to view the most recent book cover.
Title: Through a Glass Darkly
Author: Karleen Koen
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 743 pages
*Spoilers*
Depressing. Intense. Captivating. Intriguing. Dramatic. I end this book exhausted.
Karleen Koen has effectively dragged me tooth and nail, screaming, begging to stop, through roughly 6 years (if I followed the timeline correctly) of Lady Barbara Alderly Montgeoffrey’s life. It was long, excruciating, and well, brilliant. I am so tired, feeling as though I lived through it myself, and wonder how Koen managed to write 700 pages of this 1700’s soap opera without bawling her eyes out daily. The children die, the brother commits suicide, the husband has a male lover… can anything go right in this poor woman’s life? The only solace was knowing it was fiction, although I was constantly reminded of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire
Even more, up until the last few pages, I wondered how on earth two more novels could possibly follow this one (I didn’t realize while reading that Dark Angels
I feel terrible reviewing this book, describing it so crudely. Koen states on her site:
“This was such an innocent experience for me, writing without realizing others would read me and have opinions about everything. I’ll never be able to write with the innocence this book displays, but it’s my goal.”
and I don’t wish to be the person that adds to that loss of innocence. The book is good, it really is. Just probably isn’t the best of books to read while plodding through Les Miserables. It makes it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the middle of a rough week!
I can’t wait to discuss this book with other readers, as this is the first official Half Price Books Humble Book Club pick. Koen is a Houston resident, so I thought having a local author on the Book Club’s first set of titles would be both exciting and appropriate. The meeting will be held September 3rd from 8 – 9pm, led by yours truly, and I’m getting very antsy. There’s still time to pick up a copy and read the book in time to join the discussion! You won’t be sorry, and there will be more exciting event announcements for September to come… So stay tuned, and start enjoying your Karleen Koen binge now.
When We’re Not Reading – August Edition
… Is such a great place to take kids. Ayla has a blast just running in any place that has vast, open spaces. Add farm animals and swing sets, and you just can’t go wrong. It’s only $8 a person to get in, so even if you’re not one of those cool people with coupons (like me), it’s pretty cheap if you only have one kid. The baby goats were easily kiddo’s favorite as they were about the size of a one year old beagle, you know before the hounds get fatter, so they were easy to maneuver around. Although we didn’t use these particular things, because we were only there for about an hour, there’s a swimming pool and pony rides too. The most gratifying part for me, as both a mom and a reader, was when she was able to identify the pigs, having seen them previously in her Gossie & Friends
> Kiddo making friends with Guitar playing strangers; these two lovely people were incredibly sweet considering my daughter totally invaded their date night.
Find a parking spot, buy your picnic food at HEB (which is right there), and head on over to the park. Again, the kiddo loves having vast, open places to run and play, and apparently everyone is willing to share balls and frisbees with a toddler. Good thing too, because I think she may have stolen them otherwise. What’s great about hanging out here, I discovered thanks to my bestie, is that you can pretty much hear any concert being held at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for free. This is great for families with small kids and poor students because you can pop in for a bit, not feel obligated to stick around for the whole thing, but still hear a great show. Artists will sell demo cds (for donation only, of course) and the hipsters sit around and play their guitars while dads throw footballs with their kids. It’s great. There was a lady there this evening at the Jason Mraz
Meteor Shower
I’d write about our meteor shower adventure last night, but really we just did even more running in fields and caught a few really low flying airplanes that kiddo thought was pretty cool. We sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Anakalian Whims 